I usually bake Italian Sesame Cookies at Christmastime as one of the cookies I give to my friends and family. I’ve been thinking about these small not-too-sweet cookies for about a month now. I love the flavor of the toasted sesame seed cookies, especially when dunked in a hot cup of coffee. Oh, and ice-cold milk—another of my favorite drinks for dunking.
Who cares that it’s the middle of June? We can have holiday cheer any time of the year.
The first thing I did this morning was put the butter on the counter to soften up. I measured the sesame seeds in a glass cup to make sure I had enough for the recipe. I picked up sesame seeds a couple of weeks ago to make a chicken dish. Not happening now.
Cookies, Italian sesame cookies, are on my mind.
I picked up my spices in the ethnic foods section of my local grocery store. I find that brands like Badia or Goya are a fraction of the price over national well-known brands and the quality is just as good.
Here’s how to make Italian sesame cookies:
Cream together butter and sugar, then add eggs and vanilla. The eggs are important. I avoid eggs that contain added hormones, antibiotics, steroids, and other unnatural ingredients.
Sift together the dry ingredients. Stir into butter mixture. Get the sesame seeds and milk ready.
Pinch off a piece of dough the size of a small meatball. How small is that? I normally don’t make small meatballs, but if I did, I’m thinking that the size is about like a medium jawbreaker. Roll the dough gently in the palm of your hand until it’s shaped like a small 2-inch log.
Roll each piece of dough in the milk then the sesame seeds. Gently press the top of each cookie with your fingers. The logs are no longer.
Sometimes I get really lazy and I leave the dough in its meatball looking state. I roll the dough in milk then sesame seeds and slightly flatten it with my fingers. Perfectly round cookies.
Italian Sesame Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 cup sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or coat with baking spray.
- With the mixer set at medium speed, cream together butter and sugar; add eggs and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into butter mixture.
- Pinch off a ball of dough about the size of a small meatball. Shape the dough into small logs.
- Pour milk in small bowl and sesame seeds on a small plate or wax paper. Dip dough in milk then sesame seeds. Place dough on cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Slightly flatten the top of each cookie with fingers.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until cookies are slightly golden. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack; cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container.
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Hi Sherry, I love sesame seed so I know I’ll like these cookies! Thanks for sharing the recipe! Blessings, Janet
Wow…what a neat recipe!! 🙂
I would love for you to share this with my AMAZING Facebook Group with over 300 Members to share easy craft projects and recipes: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips
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Thank you for sharing at #WonderfulWednesday. Pinned and tweeted!
Sherry, you always have such unique recipes. These Italian Sesame Cookies look delicious!
These look yummy! I’ve never heard of any cookie like this before 🙂
Blessings,
Edye | http://gracefulcoffee.wordpress.com
These look like a great cookie to pair with a hot cup of coffee!
Thank you for sharing at #The RecipeShareParty Pinned yummed and tweeted.
Oh my! These are the only Italian cookies I don’t make at Christmas….until now! I am so grateful for the recipe that I am going to try them right away. I do crave some of my Christmas cookies around this time of year but I am afraid if I make them now the thrill be gone for later!!
I used to get sesame cookies in an Italian Bakery in NYC all the time! Love them! Pinning so I make make them later!
Your Italian Sesame Cookies look fantastic, we will just love them! Have a great weekend and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
ohhh i love those sesame stick kind of things so i bet these are delish! Pinned to make!
Thank you for sharing your Italian family recipes. I’ve married into an Italian family, so I like contributing to the traditions.(Is it mean that I insist on doing scratch-made whenever possible because my mother-in-law doesn’t?)
Can’t wait to try these cookies! Thanks for linkin’ up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
I had to laugh about the sesame seeds and the chicken dish – not happening now! Thanks for introducing all of us at Throwback Thursday to this lovely cookie.
Mollie
Sometimes the middle of June is the perfect time for a Christmas cookie! 😉 And too bad for the chicken, but these cookies would be my first choice for the sesame seeds as well! Thanks for sharing at Throwback Thursday.
These look so yummy Sherry. They sort of remind me of the greek cookies we make. And they are definitely for dunking. Thank you for providing us with loads of sweet inspiration. Pinning and sharing.
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you forgot to include the eggs. How many?
2 large eggs, at room temperature. I use this recipe every holiday season and have never noticed the eggs were missing. I guess I’ve made it enough to know when to put them in. Thanks for catching the error.
Do you toast the sesame seeds before making the cookies or will they toast while they are baking?
They toast while baking.